G. O. P. South

The G.O.P. South, to the ordinary Southern Democrat, is a disreputable organization. Last week President Hoover set about making it reputable.

Caesar-like, he publicly divided the southern states into three groups:

1) Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, on which he placed wreaths of political praise.

2) Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Florida, where he found Republican leaders "rendering able and conscientious service in maintaining wholesome organizations."

3) South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi which drew presidential condemnation and the threat that unless they cleaned up their political dung-heaps, their present leaders would become party outcasts. Said Mr. Hoover: "Such conditions are intolerable . . . repugnant . . . unjust . . . and must be ended."

The brunt of presidential criticism fell upon:

1) Joseph W. Tolbert ("Tieless Joe"), Republican National Committeeman of South Carolina.

2) Perry W. Howard, Negro Republican National Committeeman of Mississippi.

3) Benjamin J. Davis, removed at the Kansas City Convention as Negro Republican National Committeeman of Georgia.

The South's reaction to this political Hooverization was divided. The Atlanta Constitution said: "Good--If It Stands." The Jackson, Miss., Daily News declared: "They have taken him [Hoover] to a mountain top and shown him the promised land, but on closer inspection he will find it is only a mirage. . . . The G. 0. P. is the Negro party . . . and always will be."